Sunshine Warm Sober

Sunshine Warm Sober
Author: Catherine Gray
Publisher: Aster
Total Pages: 268
Release: 2021-06-10
Genre: Self-Help
ISBN: 1783254513

The long-awaited sequel to THE UNEXPECTED JOY OF BEING SOBER 'Exquisite' - Fearne Cotton, Happy Place 'A paean to the longer-term pleasures of staying booze-free' - The Guardian 'The kind of book that changes lives, and very possibly saves them' - The Lancet Psychiatry 'A reflective, raw and riveting read. A beautiful book on what it takes to root for yourself' - Emma Gannon, Ctrl Alt Delete 'No other author writes about sober living with as much warmth or emotional range as Catherine Gray. Her deep insight into the subtle psychologies of drinking, and of life, means that everything she writes is both utterly relatable and stretches our minds. Hers is a rare wisdom.' - Dr Richard Piper, CEO, Alcohol Change UK What's it like to give up drinking forever? We know now that being teetotal for one, three, even twelve months brings surprising joys and a recharged body... but nothing has been written about going years deep into being alcohol-free. As Catherine Gray, author of runaway success The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober, streaks towards a decade sober, she explores this uncharted territory in her trademark funny, disruptive and warm way. This is a must-read for anyone sober-curious, whether they've put down the bottle yet or not. Praise for The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober: 'Fascinating' - Bryony Gordon 'Truthful, modern and real' - Stylist 'Brave, witty and brilliantly written' - Marie Claire 'Gray's tale of going sober is uplifting and inspiring' - Evening Standard 'Not remotely preachy' - Sunday Times 'Jaunty, shrewd and convincing' - Sunday Telegraph 'Admirably honest, light, bubbly and remarkably rarely annoying' - Guardian 'An empathetic, warm and hilarious tale from a hugely likeable human' - The Lancet Psychiatry

The Unexpected Joy of the Ordinary

The Unexpected Joy of the Ordinary
Author: Catherine Gray
Publisher: Aster
Total Pages: 309
Release: 2019-12-26
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1783253649

**From the Sunday Times Bestselling Author** Life-affirming - THE TELEGRAPH Wonderful - INDEPENDENT She made it her mission to learn how to be default happy rather than default disgruntled - RADIO 4 - WOMAN'S HOUR Take a leaf out of Gray's book and be kinder to yourself by appreciating life just as it is - IRISH TIMES This book came to me in an hour of need - during lockdown when I had to focus on the positive, appreciate simple things, not lose my shit, and value each day. It was a pure joy for me and held my hand - SADIE FROST Interesting and joyful. Lights a path that could help us to build resilience against society's urging to compare life milestones with peers - LANCET PSYCHIATRY Underwhelmed by your ordinary existence? Disillusioned with your middlin' wage, average body, 'bijou' living situation and imperfect loved ones? Welcome to the club. There are billions of us. The 'default disenchanted'. But, it's not us being brats. Two deeply inconvenient psychological phenomenons conspire against our satisfaction. We have negatively-biased brains, which zoom like doom-drones in on what's wrong with our day, rather than what's right. (Back in the mists of time, this negative bias saved our skins, but now it just makes us anxious). Also, something called the 'hedonic treadmill' means we eternally quest for better, faster, more, like someone stuck on a dystopian, never-ending treadmill. Thankfully, there are scientifically-proven ways in which we can train our brains to be more positive-seeking. And to take a rest from this tireless pursuit. Whew. Catherine Gray knits together illuminating science and hilarious storytelling, unveiling captivating research showing that big bucks don't mean big happiness, extraordinary experiences have a 'comedown' and budget weddings predict a lower chance of divorce. She reminds us what an average body actually is, reveals that exercising for weight loss means we do less exercise, and explores the modern tendency to not just try to keep up with the Murphys, but keep up with the Mega-Murphies (see: the social media elite). Come on in to this soulful and life-affirming read, to discover why an ordinary life may well be the most satisfying one of all.

Unexpected Joy

Unexpected Joy
Author: Bill Russell
Publisher: Concord Theatricals
Total Pages: 69
Release: 2019
Genre: Drama
ISBN: 0573707642

In modern-day Cape Cod, Joy, a baby boomer and proud hippie, is holding a memorial concert for the other half of her popular musical duo, Jump & Joy. When her tightly wound, conservative daughter and her sweet, rebellious granddaughter arrive from Oklahoma, sparks fly as one family seeks to find the common ground in their different values, dreams, and goals. A heartfelt and hilarious story that celebrates diversity and acceptance, Unexpected Joy weaves folk-rock, pop, and blues in bringing together a family that hasn’t experienced true joy in decades.

The Unexpected Joy of Being Single

The Unexpected Joy of Being Single
Author: Catherine Gray
Publisher: Aster
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2019-01-15
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 9781912023813

Single in your late twenties or, hold the phone, in your thirties or beyond? Oh hi! You're in the right place. Over a third of us are now single. With the single camp growing at ten times the rate of the actual population, it is now the norm to be single well into our thirties - the average marriage age for women is 35 and 37 for men. But nobody seems to have told society, romcom makers, songwriters, marriage-hungry mothers, 'tick-tock' uncles, our mates or us that. Cue: single anxiety. Love addiction. Spending hours scrolling through dating apps. Being inconsolable when he/she doesn't text. Humming 'Here Comes the Bride' when they do. Catherine Gray went through all of this. And then some. She took a whole year off dating to get her love-hooked head straight. How do we chill our boots about our single status? Detach from 'all the good ones are gone!' panic? And de-programme from urgent, red, heart-shaped societal pressure to find your 'other half*'? We know intellectually that single is far preferable to panic-settling, yet we forget that almost constantly. Why? Psychologists and neuroscientists tell us? Let's start the reverse-brainwash and locate our happily-single sanity, for good. Are you in? *Spoiler: you're already a whole person.

Unexpected Joy of Being Sober Journal

Unexpected Joy of Being Sober Journal
Author: Catherine Gray
Publisher: Aster
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2019-12-03
Genre: Self-Help
ISBN: 9781783253081

A guided sobriety journal for motivation, with prompts and reminders for Dry January, Sober Spring and beyond. Whether you are going cold turkey or trying your sober-curious hand at Dry January this year, Catherine Gray provides an ideal practical solution with The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober Journal. Packed with motivational prompts and reminders, this guided sobriety journal encourages you to be present, slow down your thoughts, identify your patterns and, most importantly, be honest with yourself. There is a growing body of research that supports the positive benefits of journaling, be it helping you to stick to your goals or drastically improving your mood and emotional wellbeing. In fact, the healing power of journaling has been proven to be so beneficial that the co-founders of Alcoholics Anonymous have incorporated it into the famous 12 Step Program. Gray's refreshing and easy-to-follow strategies will inspire you to kick the drink and live a sunshine warm sober life.

Unexpected Joy

Unexpected Joy
Author: Kelly C. Miller
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
Total Pages: 289
Release: 2023-09-19
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0736987657

We Cannot Do Enough. And That’s Good News! Happiness and purpose—we work ceaselessly for them, but what does God have to say about our efforts? Through engaging and encouraging stories about serving the people of Uganda, Unexpected Joy challenges us to move beyond achievement and self-reliance, and instead embrace a life of sincere obedience and joy. With wisdom and wit, Kelly balances foundational Christian doctrine with real-life experiences. Through the lens of his personal story—and all the hurts and hopes along the way—you will discover how the joy God offers is not a future prize to be earned, but a gift to be received right now. As you contemplate Kelly’s reflections and insight, you will be encouraged and emboldened in your own whirlwind journey of God’s amazing grace. Kelly’s story will serve as a blessed reminder that the Lord is at work in your life, and that He is infinitely better than anything this world can offer!

Unexpected Joy at Dawn

Unexpected Joy at Dawn
Author: Alex Agyei-Agyiri
Publisher: Michigan State University Press
Total Pages: 324
Release: 2003
Genre: Ghana
ISBN:

Fifteen years ago, Mama said, starting her story, I came to Lagos from Ghana. I came to Nigeria because I was considered an alien in that country. The government of Ghana passed a law asking all aliens without resident permits to regularise their stay in the country'. This story of migration, identities and lives undermined by cynical and xenophobic politics pushed to its logical and terrible conclusion pertains to the Ghanaian orders of `alien compliance' issued in 1970-1971, which determined to force all non-ethnic Ghanaians, so called illegal immigrants, to return to their - so stipulated - `home'. The novel thus touches on concerns of deeper relevance to the politics of race and migration of the twenty first century.

Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening

Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening
Author: Carol Wall
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 254
Release: 2014-03-04
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0698150988

"In this profoundly moving memoir, Owita teaches Wall how to find grace amid heartbreak and to accept that beauty exists because it is fleeting—as in her garden, as in life." —People, 4 stars "A perfect spring awakening." —Good Housekeeping A true story of a unique friendship between two people who had nothing—and ultimately everything—in common. Carol Wall, a white woman living in a lily-white neighborhood in Middle America, was at a crossroads in her life. Her children were grown; she had successfully overcome illness; her beloved parents were getting older. One day she notices a dark-skinned African man tending her neighbor’s yard. His name is Giles Owita. He bags groceries at the supermarket. He comes from Kenya. And he’s very good at gardening. Before long Giles is transforming not only Carol’s yard, but her life. Though they are seemingly quite different, a caring bond grows between them. But they both hold long-buried secrets that, when revealed, will cement their friendship forever.

The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober

The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober
Author: Catherine Gray
Publisher: Aster
Total Pages: 331
Release: 2017-12-28
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1912023415

Going sober will make you happier, healthier, wealthier, slimmer and sexier. Despite all of these upsides, it's easier said than done. This inspirational, aspirational and highly relatable narrative champions the benefits of sobriety; combining the author's personal experience, factual reportage, contributions from experts and self-help advice.